A brief-yet-ongoing journal of all things Carmi. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll reach for your mouse to click back to Google. But you'll be intrigued. And you'll feel compelled to return following your next bowl of oatmeal. With brown sugar. And milk.

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Sunday, July 08, 2012

Six years. Old.

Happy FrasierLondon, ONMarch 2011

The expensive, loud and highly inconvenient ball of fur chewing on his buddy Hudson's chew stick in the photo above turns six today. Well, in human years. In dog years, he's kinda middle age. Or given the year that he's had, with the diabetes, the perpetual cone of shame and enough infections to give him his own frequent flyer card at the vet, perhaps older than that.

Truth is we don't really know how much time we've got with him. I'm guessing you can say the same thing about all of us, too. And if he's taught us one thing since we rescued him, it's that every day is a gift. Our kids have learned that lesson in spades, and if there's a silver lining in having a dog with, ah, challenges, it's this. Watching them change to accommodate him has been a tremendous experience for us. They're better people because of him, more caring, more empathetic, sweeter - if that was even possible.

I wouldn't wish illness on anyone or any animal, of course, but if I had to go through it all over again, I'd choose this critter in a heartbeat. Happy birthday, furry guy. I'll even let you sleep on my feet. Because I like you.

Your 4 legged friend has a gorgeous coat!. btw, I have stories but way too involved... I do know that somehow losing a 4 legged friend tugs at my heart more than anything.. Not saying, losing a human is lesser but somehow seeing an animal in pain strikes me harder... I watched our Cairn go thru the motions... Her last night, which I did not know was the last, she did not sleep in my room.. I even offered the bed which she jumped off immediately.. Next day, I couldn't find her... Carmi, she knew what to do,, I found her lying under the staircase... Animals are so darn smart... She always dreaded the ride to the vet. This time not a whimper.. Just looked at me and her eyes said " Well, about time, you knew what to do!"... If this is the first time your family is losing a pet, you may want to tell them what my terrier did-- a definite sign meant for us.

I've just had an article about one of my daughter's dogs in the June issue of Dogs Monthly. You may read it on my facebook wall or here at http://www.writelink.co.uk/community/blogs/entry/When-darkness-falls where it was posted for a different reason.Your dog is a study in concentration on the matter in hand (or paw).